Tijuca Forest Tour – RioLIVE! Weekend

Meeting: 09:00h at Rio & LearnCost of the activity: 170,00 reais
Bring some snacks for the picnic =D

Have you ever been to the Tijuca Forest? If you haven’t, then you must go on a Tijuca Forest Tour with us. There is an entire forest within the city of Rio de Janeiro filled with beauty, history and nature. The Tijuca Forest is the largest urban forest in the world. There are lookouts, lakes, historic sites, scenic trails and paths. An ideal place to learn new vocabulary in Portuguese while enjoying the trails, ponds, fountains and caves.

The park was created in 1961 and declared a national park that same year. Among the many wonders of the park, one that stands out the most is the remarkable and gigantic sculpture of Cristo Redentor, at the top of Corcovado hill. But we can’t fail to mention one of the highest peaks, the famous Pedra da Gávea; the largest rock close to the ocean in the world.

Some recommended attractions are the Cachoeira do Horto, Cascatinha Taunay, which is the tallest waterfall in the forest; the Mayrink Chapel, of course, the Vista Chinesa (Chinese View) a belvedere where you can see the beaches of Ipanema and Copacabana, the Guanabara Bay and Niterói. There’s a large picnic table that can be found in the park called the Emperor’s Table where the Royal Family used to sit for breakfast at times. And we are doing the same! Don’t forget to bring your snacks and drinks 😉

Enjoying the waterfall at Tijuca Forest.

Additionally, the fauna and flora found here provide an intense connection with nature, allowing direct contact with several native species, besides the variety of waterfalls. For those who enjoy hiking, the most popular destinations in Tijuca National Park are:

Cachoeira da Diamantina

Bico do Papagaio

Pico da Tijuca

Tijuca Mirim

Circuito das Cavernas

Mirante do Excelsior

Mirante da Cascatinha

Caverna dos Morcegos

All of these attractions make the Tijuca Forest a must-see on every tourists’ itinerary. If it couldn’t get any better, the Forest is complete with easy access, entrances all over the city and a diverse repertoire of recreational activities which make it an oasis within the city.

How to get to the Tijuca Forest

There are many ways to get to Tijuca Forest. Seeing as the forest is very large, the most important thing is to decide where you want to start. The easiest access points are Rua Pacheco Leão, near the Botanical Garden or Afonso Viseu Square. But no need to fear, we have all of this covered on our tour.

The Tijuca National Park is open every day of the week from 8am to 5pm, so there’s enough time for us to spend our day exploring and relaxing.